MELISSA SNIDER

About

Melissa Snider is an illustrator and California native who holds an innate fondness for the natural world. When not exploring local terrain with her dog, trying to grow flowers and pretending to know the names all the birds, she is painting at her studio in Livermore, CA.

She began her formal studies in fine art at the University of California, Davis, where she studied printmaking and received her B.A. in Studio Art. Afterwards, she continued her training at California State University Monterey Bay, where she got a master’s certificate in Science Illustration. There, she learned about the importance of scientific accuracy and the conservation of local nature, which continues to inspire her today.

Melissa Snider is prone to drawing from her head and paints a variety of subjects. Some of her favorites include moths, North American waterfowl, ungulates and the botanical anatomy of vegetables she will never eat. Often she strays from scientific representations to whimsical illustrations of objects and animals to create her own narratives. Straddling the line of real and imaginary, she tries to explain her passion for nature and encourages others to take interest in native flora and fauna.